SCENIC DRIVE

scenic drive scenic drive CHERRY ROAD

Along with breathtaking views of the Verde Valley, this scenic drive features the most perfect tree-lined country lane in the state.

BY ROGER NAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK BEREZENKO The great thing about existing off the beaten path, as the town of Cherry does, is that residents and scenic-drivers have to take an unbeaten path to get there. That means driving scenery-rich Cherry Road.

Named for the cherry trees that grew along the adjacent creek, Cherry sits in a pine-scented basin at the crest of the Black Hills. The town once served as a stage stop between Fort Whipple in Prescott and Fort Verde in Camp Verde. Buffalo Soldiers and others also used the route to travel between posts. A few mines sprang up late in the 19th century, butnothing that resembled a mother lode. Most far-flung mining towns fade into oblivion after the ore plays out, but Cherry transitioned into a tranquil little oasis for ranchers and homesteaders. Today, it seems virtually untouched by the passing of time - the kind of spot you drive through once, yet think about for years afterward, especially on late-summer eve-

Nings while stuck in traffic. Starting among the rolling hills near Dewey, the meandering dirt road dips in and out of wash bottoms and begins a gentle climb. By dirt road standards, this is a freeway, easily navigated by passenger cars. After a couple of miles, drivers are inexplicably treated to a respite of pavement. A 3-mile stretch of orphaned asphalt leads to bigger tim-ber as juniper and scrub oak trees surrender to a cluster of ponderosa pines. A few scorched trunks are remnants of a prescribed burn. Seclusion demands a proactive fire policy.

asphalt leads to bigger tim-ber as juniper and scrub oak trees surrender to a cluster of ponderosa pines. A few scorched trunks are remnants of a prescribed burn. Seclusion demands a proactive fire policy.

The pavement vanishes as suddenly as it appeared as you make your way into downtown Cherry. Watch for dogs taking a middle-of-the-road siesta. Then take a moment to savor the most calendar-perfect, tree-lined country lane in the state.

The town (population 50 or so) includes one business: Cherry Creek Bed & Breakfast. Travelers looking for a peaceful getaway can call off the search. Innkeepers Boyce and Lynn Macdonald, Cherry residents since 1976, offer an idyllic cot-tage engulfed all summer long by Lynn's vibrant flower gar-dens. Breakfast is served out-side in good weather, which, at an elevation of 5,300 feet, means most of the year.

As you wind onward, a scattering of houses peek through dense chaparral. One gets a sense of a friendly but private community, where quiet earns unqualified respect.

The landscape broadens once you pass through town, with scratchy green hills tumbling away in all directions. The road then takes a downward tilt, descending 2,000 feet to the floor of the Verde Valley, most of which occurs in a 4-mile stretch of switchbacks and tight curves unprotected by guardrails.

Pull over to ogle breathtaking views across the valley to the crumpled cliffs of Sedona and the San Francisco Peaks rising beyond. As the road levels off you'll pass the trailhead for Grief Hill. And yes, that rutted, rocky ribbon plunging from the high country used to be the main thoroughfare in these parts. Count your blessings.

Cherry Road ends at State Route 260 between Camp Verde and Cottonwood, not far from Sedona and Jerome, which are supremely scenic in their own right. That said, don't be surprised if your thoughts continue drifting back to a placid speck of a town along a tree-crowded country lane.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more scenic drives, pick up a copy of our book, The Back Roads. Now in its fifth edition, the book ($19.95) features 40 of the state's most scenic drives. To order a copy, call 800-543-5432 or visit www.arizonahighways.com.